Queen Of Hearts
by seasidewriter1
Summary: Sequel to Love In A Time Of Lawlessness. Crane and Al Ghul may be out of mind for Juliet Williams and Bruce Wayne, but the Joker is rising to power. As he starts his campaign to overrun Gotham, the well known duo must take to action to stop him. Trials of both strength and emotion stand for them in the future as the city is pushed back into terror. Bruce/OC
1. Sleepless Nights

_Disclaimer:_ _I do not own Batman in any way (comics, movies, shows, books etc.) or any of the characters. I only own Juliet and her family._

_**Foreword: This is a sequel to my first Batman fic, Love In A Time Of Lawlessness. If you are new to my Dark Knight universe stories, please read that one first, this one'll make more sense then :) But anyways, to my returning readers...**_

_**WELCOME TO THE DARK KNIGHT. **_

_**And in the words of the Joker...**_

_**Here... we... go!**_

One: Sleepless Nights

Juliet Williams grew slowly accustomed to having her life be in the public eye; she still found it odd to see her face on the front pages of newspapers and what not, but she _did_ learn how to deal with the paparazzi. Whenever she saw someone with a camera pointed at her, she smiled and waved, no matter what state of dress she was in. Even if she was having a bad day, she put on a grin and waved for the camera. With Bruce Wayne being her fiancé, she always knew that sort of attention would be directed at her. But as long as she knew how to deal with it, she'd be okay. Whenever they went on dates, sure enough pictures of it would probably be in some tabloid magazine the next day. It was for that reason that they went on dates ranging from over the top-like skydiving or hiking in the mountains in some other country-to basic dinners, so they'd only cover the more out of the box ones.

Walking through downtown Gotham on a warm, sunny afternoon, Juliet adjusted her sunglasses and pulled her phone out of her pocket. Thankful she hadn't been called into work for some emergency meeting, she smiled and walked through the crowded sidewalks. The heat of the sun made her tug the scarf around her neck to loosen it-that was another thing she learned to try to do; she found herself put into the race with celebrities and movie stars with 'best and worst dressed.' Honestly, she didn't care if she was considered badly dressed-but it was worth attempting an effort for the fun of it. She enjoyed the relaxation of walking. It was made easier now that people _wanted_ to walk the streets of Gotham since so many criminals were staying low and running scared.

Because of the Batman.

Because of Bruce.

The training they'd been doing was ongoing, but the frequency was decreasing-the two _had_ started patrolling a bit together, though Bruce still liked to sneak out without her. But even so, as much as it tended to bother her... at least Gotham was a safer place...

The sudden wail of sirens rushed past her, and Juliet's attention was drawn to the street. Dozens of police cars were pouring down the street, followed by a couple of ambulances. As they screeched around a corner, Juliet began to jog down the sidewalk, everyone pausing to mutter about the number of cop cars that had just passed them. Juliet, running in heels, followed the sound of the sirens, eventually finding herself by one of Gotham's banks... that now had a gaping hole in the side. She stared at the crumbling stone of the wall, which was now being inspected and guarded by police officers. Juliet slid her sunglasses atop her head, nearing the blockade of officers, who were turning citizens away. Approaching a younger looking officer, she opened her mouth to speak, but he held up a hand and stopped her.

" Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to turn away," he said, " The situation here isn't stable."

" What happened?" she asked, pointing to the cracked wall.

" I'm afraid we aren't at liberty to share such information with the public..." He sounded as though he were trying to figure out what to say, face twisting in nervousness. So... not even the police knew yet...

" You must be able to say some-"

" _Miss Williams._" See? There it was, the whole 'everyone knows Juliet Williams now' thing. " I'm asking you to remove yourself from the scene before anything else happens."

Sighing, Juliet gave an apologetic smile.

" I'm sorry. I'm just... I'm just worried. Stay safe, alright?" she said, turning away and sliding her sunglasses back on. She ran her hands through her hair and blew out another breath. She'd find out what was happening sooner or later.

OOOO

" Good afternoon, Miss Williams," Alfred greeted happily as Juliet arrived back at the penthouse. She smiled at Alfred and tucked her sunglasses away.

" Alfred, I've always asked you this, and I'm serious. Do you _have_ to call me Miss Williams? I prefer Juliet," Juliet laughed, sitting on the arm of a loveseat. Alfred chuckled and nodded; the two always had that banter going on. Alfred felt it normal and respectful to call her 'Miss Juliet' or 'Miss Williams' and Juliet insisted that he just call her 'Juliet.' In all honesty, it didn't bother her enough to roughly insist he cut out the whole 'Miss' thing, but it became an ongoing joke that made her smile. It was a happy thought to Alfred that soon enough she wouldn't be 'Miss Williams' anymore, she would be 'Mrs. Wayne.'

" I hope you two are playing nice," Bruce chuckled, descending the stairs with a smile. He was spending a day relaxing, so he wore a normal dark blue t-shirt, jeans and his hair remained unstyled and a bit messy in the way that Juliet thought was adorable. Stepping over to his fiancé, Bruce gave her a brief kiss, a smile on her lips.

" Don't we always?" Juliet laughed as Bruce pulled her to sit beside him in the loveseat. He chuckled and kept his arm looped around her waist.

" I suppose you do. So, how was downtown Gotham today? Any paparazzi?"

" Not today, but... there _was_ something going on at the bank, though. First off, the police blockaded it and don't seem to know what happened and secondly, there was a gaping hole in one of the walls," Juliet told him, her forehead creasing. Bruce's brows furrowed as well, thinking over what he'd just been told. Letting out a breath, he pursed his lips and gave a small smile.

" We'll find out soon enough. But, come on, it's our day off to relax, so lets just do that," Bruce said, rubbing her arm. Recognizing his tone of voice as one she wouldn't be able to argue with, she leaned against him and shut her eyes.

She felt Bruce's warm fingers play with her engagement ring, which caused her to smile. Juliet had been able to finally wear her engagement ring in public a week or two after they'd actually gotten engaged. Being Bruce Wayne, everyone would have expected an extravagant, confident, public proposal, _completely_ unlike the slightly nervous, extremely private and sweet one that was the real one. So, to give the paparazzi and the public what they would have wanted, he set up a second proposal. But, to make it more realistic, Bruce didn't tell Juliet when or where it was going to happen.

So, it was to Juliet's actual surprise that when they went to Venice that he proposed on a gondola ride.

Pictures were in the papers the next day.

Smiling, Bruce pressed a kiss atop her head, enjoying the quiet time they were getting. It was a break from being billionaire Bruce Wayne and a break from being vigilante Batman. Right now, it was just Bruce and Juliet, enjoying each others company like any other couple.

OOOO

That night, Bruce stood beside his bed, staring at the night darkened skyline; Juliet had been asleep for a good hour, which was when he slipped out of bed, pulled his shirt on and watched the city. Though he and Juliet did patrol together, he'd gotten a tip off about a certain dark-haired criminal who had a knack for wearing ripped up burlap on his head, and Bruce didn't want Juliet having to face him again, especially since her body armor wasn't exactly, well, ready yet...

Kneeling slightly on the edge of the bed, Bruce leaned over to Juliet and kissed her bare shoulder; he hated leaving her alone on the nights he went off without her. He left her warmth and the little bubble of happiness she gave him when she was close by and he rather enjoyed all that. But after smoothing some dark strands of hair from her face, he moved off to take down the man who'd been plaguing Gotham for far too long.

OOOO

A man known as the Chechen stepped out of his van in an empty parking garage. While others ran scared of the Batman, he had something to fight him off; his beloved rottweilers could take down the masked vigilante in seconds. So that was why he didn't worry about that stupid signal in the sky, didn't worry about getting caught. He had business to take up with a certain man...

A druggie was pulled out of another van, held by two of the Chechen's men; he was writhing around, yelling about something crawling over his skin. He was young and thin and wild eyed, still grunting quietly when he was pushed to the cold concrete. The Chechen took a few steps forward, glaring at the back of a white van, where where armed thugs guarded their leader.

" Look at what your drugs did to my customers!" he complained in a thick Russian accent.

" Buyer beware!" came a muffled voice from inside the van. Out stepped the Scarecrow, burlap mask over his face, a noose loosely closing the burlap around his neck. His black suit was a bit dirtied, but then again, he wasn't exactly sauntering around in the daylight anymore. He scoffed at the Russian man and continued on to say, " I told you my compound would take you places. I _never_ said they'd be places you'd wanted to go." The Chechen gave the man a look.

" My business is repeat customers!"

" If you don't like what I have to offer, you can buy from someone else. Assuming _Batman_ left anyone to buy from," Scarecrow snorted. Chechen's dogs began to snarl and bark, which made him smirk. Everyone began to survey their surroundings, expecting to see the shadowy Batman somewhere nearby.

" My dogs are _hungry!_" he shouted, finally spotting a shadow with bat ears, contrasting against the brightly lit city outside of the garage. " Pity there is only _one_ of you!"

Later guessing if he should have said those words, a second shadow ripped away one of the body guards, immediately taking his place. Another shadow flipped a body guard over a guard railing, causing enough distraction for the first shadow to prepare, aim and fire his shotgun. The round shattered a window of the black van, and everyone began to scatter. Crane shoved the back doors of his van shut and announced,

" That's not him!"

The Batman didn't use guns. He didn't try to kill. The shadows were also a bit too round around the middle to be the man who'd thrown him in Arkham a year ago. All of the shadows were letting loose rounds from their firearms, effectively starting a gun fight. The dogs were let loose, which brought down one of the fake Batmen, while the other two kept shooting. When one tried to grab Crane, the criminal spun around and prayed him with his special fear gas, sending the man to the ground with a yell.

A large, black, tank-like car suddenly burst into the garage from a nearby roof, cracking concrete barriers and crushing cars.

" That's more like it," Crane muttered, jumping into his now bullet ridden van. Everyone shot at the Batmobile as it had become to be known as, and smirked when nothing happened. But then, their smiles disappeared as the tank-like vehicle began to blow up surrounding cars. Everyone began to scatter, except for one fake Batman, who was stepping forward, gun aimed at Chechen.

A gloved hand shot out and gripped the barrel of the gun, physically bending it downwards so it was unable to fire. The man, who happened to be wearing hockey-pads, looked over in shock to see the _real_ Batman standing beside him. With a well placed blow to the neck, Batman knocked the imposter unconscious. As vans began to tear away with only the important men inside, those left behind tried to stop the vigilante. Batman knocked one man's head against a railing and proceeded to knock out two others with well placed blows.

The strangled yells of one of the false Batmen grabbed Bruce's attention, and noted the man was being mauled by two dogs. With the use of his grappling gun, he pulled the man over to him, but when he reached down to pull the dog off of him, its teeth sunk sharply and painfully through his armor and into his skin. He yelled out and yanked the dog away, tossing the animal aside. He barely had any time to focus on the pain running through his arm from the bite seeing as Crane's van, with said man at the wheel, slammed into him. He held onto the roof and used a device known as a pneumatic mangle attached to his gauntlet to rip a hole in the side of the van. His hopes were that it would've worked smoothly, but as the night went on, nothing seemed like it would. The mangle got stuck, which kept him flush to the side of the speeding van.

Crane internally smirked when he saw his troubles and turned the van towards the exit ramp at _just_ the right angle that would smack his enemy into a concrete support column... Bruce, thanking Mr. Fox mentally for the safe-fail in the mangle device, twisted a small dial on his wrist, which caused tiny explosives to detach the mangle from his gauntlet... and let him fall from the van, smacking into the pavement. Standing as quickly as he could with a stinging shoulder, he walked to the railing on the edge of the curving exit ramp. He jumped onto the other side of the railing and just stood there, waiting...

The screeching of tires got farther and farther down... and then... Bruce jumped. He fell fast, wind whipping past his face and, at the perfect moment, Crane's van emerged beneath him, creating his intended landing point. When he did, in fact, land on the roof of the fan, he smashed the cab, trapping Crane inside.

Well, that didn't go _quite_ as he hoped...

OOOO

After gathering up all of the phoney Batmen and the knocked out gangsters, he tied them up along side Crane, who he immediately whipped the mask off of, dropping it distastefully into the man's lap. Jonathan Crane's head lolled backwards to rest against the ramp railing; he was smirking even though he'd been caught, peering at the Batman through messy brown hair. He wasn't going to say anything... he was just going to smirk.

" Don't let me find you out here again," Bruce told one of his imposters.

" But we're trying to help you!"

" I don't need help!" he shot back, climbing into the Batmobile.

" Not _my_ diagnosis," Crane retorted, staring at the Batman.

" What gives _you_ the right? What's the difference between you and me?" the fake Batman called out. As Bruce began to disappear into the Tumbler, he said,

" I'm not wearing hockey pads!"

OOOO

When Alfred walked into Bruce and Juliet's bedroom carrying a tray of breakfast, he expected to find the two curled up together under the blankets like he usually did, enjoying the warm morning sun streaming in from the glass walls. But, his pleasant morning smile faded when he saw that only one side of the bed was occupied-and that it was Juliet who was still soundly asleep, unaware that she was alone. Huffing out a quiet breath, he quietly walked further into the room, setting the tray down on a small table. He would let Juliet sleep till she woke up on her own, because he knew _exactly_ where Bruce was and he knew that Juliet wasn't going to be too happy about it.

Alfred entered the private property section of the freight yard and walked past a sign claiming one plot being for Wayne Enterprises. He stepped over to the large freight container and unlocked it, stepping inside to be lowered into what Juliet had deemed the Bat Bunker. At the end, in front of a set of monitors, Bruce sat hunched over, paying close attention to his arm.

" Be nice when Wayne Manor is rebuilt," Alfred said loudly as he walked towards Bruce, " You can swap not sleeping in a penthouse for not sleeping in a mansion. Whenever you stitch yourself up you _do_ make a bloody mess."

Bruce winced as he tugged on the black medical thread, his skin stinging. The damned dog bite was taking forever to stitch up. He'd been trying to do it as neatly as possible, hoping that the scars it would leave wouldn't look too horrible. Alfred set down his things and watched him.

" Yeah. It makes me learn from my mistakes," Bruce said in a focused down, pushing the needle through his skin again.

" You ought to be pretty knowledgable by now, then." Alfred pulled on his glasses and took the needle from the younger man, beginning to stitch up the bite.

" My armor. I'm carrying too much weight. I need to be... I need to be, uh, faster," Bruce mused, looking away from his inflamed skin.

" I'm sure Mr. Fox could oblige." Alfred took a better look at the cut he was mending and asked, " Did you get mauled by a tiger?"

" It was a dog..." Bruce muttered.

" Huh?"

" It was a _big dog._" A pause. " There were more copycats last night, Alfred. This time, with guns..." he said with concern.

" Why not hire them and take the weekend off? I'm sure Miss Williams wouldn't mind having you to herself for a few days," Alfred said with a smile, causing Bruce to do the same. Though the idea of a weekend off did sound nice, he wouldn't think of hiring copycats, let alone copycats with guns.

" That wasn't, uh, what I had in mind when I said I wanted to inspire people," Bruce said with a small chuckle.

" I know. But things have improved." Alfred said, cutting off the string from the last of the stitches; the difference between Bruce's stitching and his own was rather drastic and would definitely make for an interesting scar. " Just look at the new district attorney!"

Bruce clicked a key on a keyboard and a monitor switched to show footage of the new DA, Harvey Dent. He was a tall, blond, charismatic man, who grabbed the attention of everyone in Gotham.

" I am, closely. I need to know if he can be trusted."

" Are you interested in his character, or his, uh, social circle?" Alfred asked, pointing to a monitor of footage of Harvey and Rachel stepping out of a cab together, smiling and talking. The new DA was indeed the Harvey Dent that Rachel had begun dating a few months back. Bruce always felt protective over Rachel since they'd grown up together and become so close. He wanted to make sure that the guy wasn't going to hurt her...

" Who Rachel spends her time with is her business," Bruce said quietly, standing from his chair.

" I trust you don't have _me_ followed on my day off?"

" If you took one I might," Bruce told him seriously, turning his back. He pulled off his black t-shirt and put it aside, grabbing a fresh white button down. Alfred's face fell when he spotted all of the marks on Bruce's back. A curved scar adorned his lower right shoulder blade, and another sat closer to the back of his shoulder. A few new scrapes and bruises had arrived because of the night before, and they were an angry red that Juliet was not going to be pleased with.

" Know your limits, Master Wayne," Alfred said, fighting to keep his voice level.

" Batman has no limits," he replied, turning around while pulling the button down on.

" Well, _you_ do, Sir."

" Well, can't afford to know 'em."

" And what's going to happen on the day you find out?"

" Well, we all know how much you like to say 'I told you so.'"

" That day, Master Wayne, even I won't want to. Probably."

As Bruce buttoned up his shirt, he gave Alfred a serious look.

" Please don't tell Juliet about the bite, we know how much she likes to worry," Bruce mentioned, fixing his collar. Alfred removed his glasses and tucked them into his coat pocket.

" She'll find out about it sometime; like when you can barely move your arm without wincing. And of course she worries about you, she loves you," Alfred said, watching as Bruce smiled again.

" I know she does."

" And... she isn't going to be very happy about your little escapade last night-you left her alone again."

" Alfred, I went after _Crane_. He man who has tried to kill her more than once. By now, he's in Arkham, or Blackwell locked up tighter than he was before. I may be letting her go patrolling more now, but I wasn't putting her up against him again," he pointed out.

Bruce began to knot his tie, thinking over just how upset Juliet was going to be with him. Not only did he leave without either telling her or inviting her along, he didn't come come before morning _and_ he'd been injured. Oh, what fun he was going to have trying to talk himself out of the trouble he'd probably just jumped head first into...

OOOO

When Juliet woke up that morning, she sighed and rolled over towards Bruce side... and didn't hit his back or his chest. Brows furrowing, Juliet sleepily opened her eyes and looked around the bedroom; an untouched tray of food sat on a small table and the penthouse was _entirely_ silent. The closet doors were open and a few empty hangers dangled in her line of view. Getting out of bed, Juliet pulled on her white silk robe and stepped through the hallway, calling out,

" Bruce? Alfred?"

She waited for a good few minutes before she concluded that by neither of them answering, neither of them were there.

And she knew _exactly _what _that_ meant.

_**Afterword:**_ _**CHAPTER ONE! WOO! Sorry if it isn't very exciting, but I had to let ya guys know what's been goin' on! Next chapter we'll start up with the meeting... and then probably continue on into Juliet talking to Bruce and what not... and we all know how that's gonna go XD But, anyways, I hope you enjoyed regardless of its possible suckiness. It took me a while to sit down and just write this 'cause I got sucked into Doctor Who mode, especially since they finally revealed the newest Doctor. But ignore my nerdy excuses and let me know what ya think so far!**_

_**~Mary**_


	2. She Has Her Ways

_Disclaimer:__ I do not own Batman/Dark Knight in any way shape or form (movies, shows, comics, books etc.) I only own Juliet and her family._

Two: She Has Her Ways

By the time Juliet walked into the newly built, sleek looking Wayne Enterprises building, she was looking straight ahead, papers in one hand, the other curled loosely. While she gave perfectly convincing smiles and happy good mornings to those she passed on her way to the elevator, her mind was buzzing with what she was going to say to Bruce the moment she laid eyes on him. The reflective metal of the elevator's interior gave her an opportunity to straighten out her work outfit; she'd tossed it on so fast that she barely had time to make sure it was fitting correctly. Her black pencil skirt was a bit wrinkled and her blouse was tucked in awkwardly; luckily her hair cooperated today when she pulled only the strands by her face back, so that wasn't of too much worry. Sucking in a deep breath when the elevator dinged, she marched out, heels clicking against the floor.

Bruce, who was greeting those walking into the conference room, stood by the side of Mr. Fox, whom he hoped to have a word with later. Turning to greet the next person, his smile fell when he saw none other than Juliet. He didn't have to see her face to know how she felt; it was her walk that told him she was going to speak with him later—it was a determined stride, one that he'd seen her use on her way to take down a mugger or a thief. Instead of immediately chewing his ear off like he thought she would, she breezed right past him and Mr. Fox, going to take her seat.

Fox chuckled and looked down at Bruce.

" What did you do this time?" he asked the billionaire. Sighing tiredly, Bruce gave a weak smile.

" What do you_ think_ I did?"

OOOO

" In China, Lau Security Investments stands for dynamic new growth. A joint Chinese venture with Wayne Enterprises will be a powerhouse," Mr. Lau said, concluding his little speech. He smiled at both Fox and Juliet, who'd been sitting to his right; Juliet was jotting down notes and listening intently, while Fox had his hands clasped and nodded his head.

" Well, Mr. Lau… I speak for the rest of the board…" Fox began as he stood, looking down the long, sleek table and _right_ at Bruce, who was slumped back and passed out in one of the chairs, "… _and_ Mr. Wayne, in expressing our own excitement."

With a few more words and promises of being in contact soon, the meeting ended and everyone began to depart. Fox walked over to Juliet and nodded to her fiancé.

" Do you want to wake him up, or shall I?" he asked. Looking down at Bruce, she quirked a brow and left her papers on the table.

" I have to talk to him anyway, so I'll do it."

Her long strides carried him right behind his chair, which she took a hold of. She waited till the rest of the businessmen and businesswomen had left before she quickly yanked the chair backwards, affectively waking the exhausted billionaire.

" Hm, what?" Bruce muttered startled, quickly bolting forward to sit on the edge of his chair. He groaned when he realized he'd fallen asleep and then took note of the very empty conference room. " I'm assuming the meeting is over?"

" You slept straight through it. I don't think you made it past Lau's third sentence," Juliet deadpanned, crossing her arms. Bruce turned the chair around and looked up at her, offering a tired smile. There went his plans of sneaking off and trying to smooth it all over before talking to her directly… " Have a fun night?" Bruce cleared his throat and then stood, crossing to the massive wall of windows.

" I, uh, wouldn't say _fun_ per se…" he said softly, scratching the back of his neck. Juliet sighed and stood beside him, crossing her arms.

" Bruce, I _really_ don't want to blow this out of proportions—"

" Then let's not."

" –but you _can't_ go sneaking off without telling me. You've done it before and I've woken up alone without explanation more than once. Not only does it _worry_ me when you don't come back, I feel like you just don't _trust _me," Juliet said, keeping her voice calm. The anger she felt earlier that morning had boiled down to a simmering annoyance that she always felt in those situations. Bruce would sneak out and on occasion, he'd come back before morning, but him _not_ returning happened more often than not. He liked to pin not telling her he was patrolling on the fact her suit had yet to come in, but she was half convinced it wasn't just that—he was still nervous about letting her out on the streets.

" You know I trust you more than anyone," Bruce told her with genuine truth, leaning down and pressing a long kiss to the top of her head. She rolled her eyes as he did so, but smiled at the affectionate gesture.

" More than Alfred?" she asked with a slight laugh. He chuckled and put his hands in his pockets; he teased her with a shrug and a thoughtful face.

" Well…" Juliet laughed and shook her head; the conversation was far from over, but she might as well let it drop for the moment—a public conference room was not the place to discuss it. Leaning her head to the side, she let it rest against Bruce's left arm, unknowingly hitting the spot that had been stitched up no more than a few hours ago. Bruce suppressed a grimace at the flash of pain, but his arm twitched at the contact. Juliet tensed when she felt his arm jerk. She slowly looked up at him with wide eyes.

" You're injured."

" It's not that bad, Juliet."

" Bruce, you're _injured._"

" Juliet…"

" I can come back if you need some more alone time to chat," Mr. Fox said as he entered the room, his voice echoing a bit. When neither of them replied, he continued on. " This joint venture was your idea, and the consultants love it. But I'm not convinced. Lau's company has grown by eight percent annually like clockwork. His revenue stream must be off the books… maybe even illegal."

" Okay. Cancel the deal," Bruce said simply, smiling a bit.

" You already knew."

" Just needed a closer look at their books."

" Well, Juliet, did you know about this? You were scribbling up notes like a storm," Fox said, nodding to the note pad back on the table. Laughing a bit she snatched it up again and turned it to face him.

" Wedding plans, not notes," she told him, lowering the pad again. Fox chuckled and shook his head a bit.

" Anything else you can trouble me for?" he asked.

" I need a new suit," Bruce suddenly admitted, making Juliet look up at him with furrowed brows. When did he come to _that_ conclusion, exactly? Fox looked at what Bruce was currently wearing and said,

" Yeah. Three buttons is a little nineties, Mr. Wayne."

" I wasn't talking fashion, Mr. Fox, Juliet would help me with that. I was thinking about _function_." He handed Fox some sketches he'd had stowed away in his pocket since earlier that morning. Juliet peered over the tops of the papers to see what he'd drawn.

" You wanna be able to turn your head."

" Sure make backing out of the driveway easier."

" I'll see what I can do. I'll have to warn you though, it may take a little while to come in once I finalize the design; probably around the time Juliet's will come in. I again apologize about the delay, but I believe our suppliers aren't used to making things more suited for the… feminine audience," Fox chuckled, beginning to walk away with the sketched. Juliet laughed and rolled her eyes before taking hold of Bruce's hand tightly.

" Let's go home for a bit, shall we?"

OOOO

Alfred had been quietly reading since dropping Bruce off at Wayne Enterprises that morning; he'd received a call saying that Bruce was driving home with Juliet, so he could just relax. It had been a bit of a surprise, but a welcomed surprise. Flipping the crisp page, the old butler adjusted his glasses and continued to read. It was quiet and peaceful until…

" Take off your jacket," Juliet's voice insisted crossing from the elevator.

" I can take off my jacket if I'd like," Bruce replied, heading towards the bedroom while unknotting his tie. Juliet quirked a brow as she followed close behind.

" Then why don't you?"

" Because maybe I'd like to keep it on since we'll probably be leaving the house in a little bit."

" Oh, we won't be leaving anytime soon!"

Their voices continued to bicker till their bedroom door muffled the sound. Well, there went Alfred's afternoon of peace.

Bruce flung his tie over a decorative room divider and was prepared to do all he could to hide the wound on his arm for as long as he could. Juliet sighed and rubbed her eyes a bit, not smudging any of the neutral makeup she'd put on earlier in the day.

" Look, I'm just worried, okay? I mean, do you blame me? How would _you_ feel if you woke up one morning and I was gone?" she asked, standing in front of him, taking hold of his hands, " I have a right to worry. I'm just glad you're okay." She smiled up at him a bit, sliding her arms around his shoulder in a hug. Bruce smiled and returned the embrace, kissing her temple.

" You don't have to worry. I'm always fine."

After a long moment, Juliet pulled away in the slightest, giving herself just enough room to lean in and press her lips against his. Her right hand came to rest on the back of his neck, her teasingly playing with his hair. While Bruce returned the kiss, he slid his hands to her hips, feeling her lean into him more. After a few increasingly heated moments, Juliet's hands worked over his shoulders to slide the jacket off his shoulders. Her teeth lightly pulled against Bruce's lower lip while she worked her fingers to undo the buttons on his shirt; she tried not to be distracted by the hand in her hair or the one working on untucking the bottom of her blouse.

Bruce felt the button at the collar of his shirt come undone and then felt Juliet's warm hands slide over his shoulders, beginning to push it off… as the sleeves began to fall down his arms, he pulled away, holding _her_ shoulders tightly while giving her a hard look.

" You tricked me," he told her, attempting to even out his breathing.

" Well, it worked," she told him with a devious little smile.

" It wasn't fair."

" Yes it was. You know I have my ways. Now, let's have a look at your arm, shall we?" she asked, meeting his eyes. After a good long moment, Bruce sighed and let go of his shoulders, working on unbuttoning the cuffs of his shirt. Once they were undone, he shed the shirt, muttering something about having a tease of fiancé. Juliet rolled her eyes but all amusement left her face when she saw the injury.

The stitched up bite was beginning to swell slightly, making the inflamed skin begin to not only splotch red but also a pale white. Her fingers, which she lightly let rest against his skin a few inches away, felt cool against the heat of the swollen skin. She took note that more than half of the stitches were lopsided, crooked and messy and the others were straight and precise.

" I see you didn't wait for Alfred…" Juliet muttered, examining the wound before moving around do his back. The scrapes from falling harshly to the parking garage ground were obviously less severe, but turning just as red. " Dear _God_, what on earth were you _doing?_"

Bruce felt her fingers lightly brush over the scrapes on his shoulder blade and he sighed, ruffling a hand through his hair.

" The injury was from a dog—a big dog. I was there because… well, uh… It was Crane," he admitted, feeling her fingers stop moving. There was a longer pause before he heard her clear her throat and ask,

" Yeah?"

" Mm-hm; he was at a, uh, drug deal. I'd gotten a tip off about it and I didn't want you to come along. The man's tried to kill you before—_twice_. But I got him, Juliet, I did," Bruce said, turning around and holding her upper arms, " He's locked up by now and he won't bother us again." Juliet smiled a bit up at him and nodded. She had to admit, maybe this time and _only_ this time, she could see what he meant. Jonathan—no, she didn't say his first name anymore; it reminded her of when he was saner than he was the last time she'd seen him. _Crane_ was one of the very few people that scared her absolutely stiff and rendered her thoughtless and motionless. She wouldn't know what to do if she'd seen him in a dark alley again. The truth of it was, she'd probably end up dead if she ran into him again, even with all of her training.

" Okay… so just this once—you hear me? _Just_ this once, I understand why you snuck off without me. Don't expect such compliance again in the future, 'cause I know you'll do it again. In the mean time, we should put more antiseptic on this," Juliet said nodding to the stitches. Bruce waved off the suggestion.

" It's fine." Juliet scoffed and then pointed to a pink burn mark on her right pointer finger.

" _I_ burnt myself on the toaster yesterday and you got to worry over it like I chopped off a limb, but _I _can't worry about an injury _you_ have that required over six stitches? That, first off, isn't all that logical. And I reiterate, I have a right to worry over you—I love you, Bruce and I see you come home with more scars and bruises than anyone else… so I worry," Juliet told him quietly.

Bruce took a hold of her hands and ran a thumb over a small jagged scar on the heel of one of her hands—it had been caused by the jagged piece of glass Juliet had used to cut her bonds in the Narrows. Another thin scar ran up one of her arms from the same night—when she'd thrown herself off the horse and tumbled to the ground. He was glad she hadn't gotten any scars from patrolling—not yet at least—but the ones she had, caused by Crane, were a reminder he hadn't been there to help her.

" And you have _no idea_ how much I worry about you…" he whispered, forehead creasing, deep brown eyes staring at the floor. She smiled at him and raised her hand to his cheek.

" I think I do. Well, yesterday you expressed wanting to go out to dinner, so I'll go see about making reservations somewhere," Juliet told him as she pressed a kiss to his cheek and headed towards the bedroom door. Halfway to the door, she felt two arms grab her around the waist and lift her up. A small gasp left her lips when her feet no longer had contact with the floor.

" Oh, I think you can do that later," Bruce told her, carrying her back across the room.

" Bruce, put me down!" she yelled, beginning to laugh while she tried to push him away.

" You teased me earlier, I'm not gonna let that pass lightly," he chuckled, dropping her back onto the freshly made bed. She tried to smother her laughter as he hovered over her, pressing kisses along her jaw.

" Stop!" Juliet laughed, her words completely half hearted. Bruce pulled away and smirked down at her.

" Make me."

OOOO

By the time Bruce and Juliet had finally found a moment to actually _make_ dinner reservations, they found they might as well invite someone else along that would give the papers something to chat about. Since the Russian ballet was in town, they invited the Prima Ballerina to come with them, if only to feed the ever-ravenous tabloids. They chose a restaurant that Bruce purchased a while back—Juliet was worried he was going to make buying eateries a habit—and as the three walked in, they smiled at a few familiar faces. Juliet's eyes slid over the heads of those in the dinning room and then stopped on a pretty and familiar brunette woman in a bright red dress. Rachel. The man who sat across from her was Harvey Dent, and they were quite clearly on a date. Looking up at her fiancé, Juliet began to wonder if Bruce had planned all this out—a date sabotage.

It probably was.

" Rachel! Fancy that," Bruce called out as he immediately made his way towards her. Juliet walked on his right side, her hand resting in the crook of his arm.

" Yeah, Bruce. Fancy that," Rachel said, completely unamused. Juliet met her friend's gaze and mouthed 'I'm so sorry.' A tiny twitch on the corner of Rachel's lips was enough for Juliet to know that they'd talk about it later.

" Rachel, Natascha, Natascha, Rachel," Bruce said, gesturing from Rachel to the pretty, blond, Russian ballet dancer. Rachel put on a smile and leaned her elbows on the table.

" Natascha… are you the prima—"

" Prima Ballerina for the Moscow Ballet," Bruce confirmed with a fond smile. Rachel nodded once as Natascha smiled proudly.

" Wow. Harvey's taking me next week."

" Wow, really?" He turned his direction to the handsome blond man. " So, you like ballet?"

" Bruce, this is Harvey Dent," Rachel said with a broad smile. The billionaire extended a hand and Harvey accepted it in a friendly shake.

" The famous Bruce Wayne. Rachel's told me everything about you," Harvey told him.

" Well, I certainly hope not."

" And, Juliet, it's wonderful to see you again." Harvey smiled and nodded to Juliet, who smiled back at him.

" You too, Harvey," Juliet replied. Bruce glanced between the two briefly before saying,

" So, lets put a couple of tables together."

" I'm not sure they'll let us," the blond man said, brows furrowing slightly. It was clear by his tone he was trying to be dismissive.

" Oh, they should. I own the place." Bruce caught the eyes of a waiter whom he was acquainted with and gestured between two tables. As the waiter scrambled to come help, Bruce turned so his mouth was right by Juliet's ear.

" You've met him before?" he whispered with a smile. To anyone it would seem like he was whispering something sweet to his fiancé, but it was far from that. She smiled back at him and kissed the top of his cheek bone while replying with,

" Rachel is one of my best friends, of course I've met her boyfriend before."

As the tables were being pushed together and set up, Rachel and Juliet excused themselves to the bathroom.

" I'm really sorry, Rachel. I had _no_ idea you were here; I'd like to believe Bruce didn't either, but… we know Bruce," Juliet told her friend once they had reached the bathroom. Rachel gave a wary smile.

" Yeah, we know Bruce…" she muttered with a slightly annoyed laugh, " It's too late to stop him, though."

" Unfortunately… but I'll do my best to reign him in. If he doesn't listen I know his weak points," Juliet said with a flat but completely serious tone, using one of the mirrors to fix one of her earrings, which had gotten caught in her hair. Rachel laughed a bit at her friend's words.

" I'm sure you do by now. And it'll definitely do the world some good because you do." Rachel sighed and nodded to the door. " We should probably get back out there. Can't keep them waiting too long. So, what's with the ballerina?" The two pushed the door open and Juliet openly snorted at the subject change.

" You know the tabloids… they need a weekly dose of gossip otherwise they think they'll perish. Honestly, the woman gets on my nerves and I've only spoken less than sixty words to her," Juliet told Rachel, the two laughing a bit before preparing to face the rest of the evening.

_**Afterword:**__** CHAPTER TWO! WOOO! Hope you guys enjoyed it! I certainly had fun writing it! So, not much action in this one, but, you know, the Joker has yet to completely start wreaking havoc on Gotham. Next chapter Juliet and Bruce'll probably have a chat about our favorite clown-makeup faced villain and we'll hopefully see him soon too! THE IDEAS ARE GROWING. **_

_**REVIEW REPLIES!**_

**grapejuice101:**_ I'm glad you enjoyed the first chapter! I hope you enjoyed this one as well and thanks again! Hope you keep on reading!_

**xxxninaxxx:**_ I really cannot wait for the Joker! I have plans and I'm going to have SO MUCH FUN writing him! AHH! Can't wait! Anyway, enough of my fangirling, hope you enjoyed! Thanks again!_

**highlander348:**_ Juliet definitely has the media in her favor, and as we will see, that will play a role later on, if this all goes according to plan :D And Bruce didn't get past the conference room chair—the Batbunker wouldn't have been able to save him either XD Anyway, I hope you enjoyed and thanks again!_

**kindleflame5:**_ I think he's more worried about facing her because he loves her and knows there's no way in hell she'd stop trying to pester him about something if she deemed it fit XD And she'll probably sneak out once she gets her suit, which'll be pretty soon! Anyway, thanks again! Hope you enjoyed and hope you'll keep on reading!_

**toomanyobsessionstocount:**_ I'm glad you liked the first chapter! As for Capaldi as the Doctor, I think he'll be good—he did a great job in Fires of Pompeii, but like most Doctor's, he'll have to prove himself in his Doctorly ways! As for updating that story, I'm working on the next chapter now; it's an original adventure so I'm trying to work out what'll happen, since it's not action/adventure based like the one with Hal was. Hope you enjoyed and thanks again!_

**The Mortal Knight:**_ I'm glad you're excited for the sequel! The Joker is coming and I can't wait to write him. It will also definitely be interesting to see how Bruce/Juliet's relationship is affected by the upcoming events; especially since he isn't going to want her out patrolling with the Joker running rampant. Hope you liked the chapter! Thanks bunches!  
_**lolsmileyface6:**_ Glad you enjoyed the first chapter! Thanks again!_

**Bronzelove:**_ Here's the new chapter! Hope you enjoyed it! And yes, I'm looking forward to see what Capaldi does with the Doctor! Thanks again!_

**ILuvOdie:**_ Sequels are always fun XD I hope you enjoyed the second chapter! Thanks again!_

**Stargazer1364:**_ Hope this chapter was as good or better than the first! I hope you'll keep on reading! Thanks again!_

** l:**_ Hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope you keep on reading! Thanks again!_

**ApplejaxXD:**_ Bruce did get in trouble, though he seemed to justify his reason for leaving pretty well; hope you enjoyed it! Thanks again!_

**Kagome Narome:**_ I'm glad you'll be sticking around to see what'll happen next! Thanks again!_

**Ravenmore45:**_ He probably would have found a __**great**__ hiding spot… if he hadn't fallen asleep in that meeting first XD Hope you enjoyed! Thanks again!_

_**And thank you to those who have added this to story alert/favorites; it means a lot to me! Thanks you guys!**_

_** So, that's it for chapter two! More to come in chapter three, including the rest of dinner, wedding talk and the plans of going to Hong Kong.**_

_********IF YOU DON'T READ ANYTHING ELSE IN THIS NOTE, PLEASE READ THIS NEXT BIT!**********_

_** Also, I want your guys opinion; I originally wanted to have Juliet and Bruce's wedding AFTER the events of the movie, but I've changed my mind. How soon do you guys want the wedding to happen? Lemme know in the reviews! It would help me out to know what you all think, 'cause then I'll know when to put in certain scenes and all that stuff :)**_

_** Also, I'd like to point something out about the cover of this story—it's all the character posters for the Dark Knight but the one on the top left is a picture of Rachel Weisz, who I thought fit Juliet pretty well. If you wanna see a bigger version of it, it's on my Polyvore account, which there is a link to on my profile page :)**_

_** Anyway, thanks again, guys! Stay awesome for me!**_

_**~Mary**_


	3. Planning

_Disclaimer:__ I do not own Batman/Dark Knight in any way shape or form (movies, shows, comics, books etc.) I only own Juliet and her family._

Three: Planning

After two small tables were pushed together, the five settled down for dinner; Juliet sat next to Bruce, who had an arm around the back of her chair, hand resting on her upper arm. They all had glasses of wine and soon got on the subject of the state of the city.

" How could you want to raise children in a city like this?" Natascha asked, her thick accent cutting into the air.

" Well, Juliet was raised her, she turned out perfect. _I_ was raised here. I turned out okay," Bruce interjected. Harvey's brows pulled together when he inquired,

" Is Wayne Manor in the city limits?"

" Is…" Bruce chuckled at the question and gave the blond man a look. " The Palisades? Sure. You know, as our new DA, you might wanna figure out, uh, where your jurisdiction ends."

Rachel's eyes slid over to Harvey and watched how he would react; he handled the jab well, only giving a small nod before sipping at his wine. Juliet moved her foot and sank the heel of her shoe onto his foot momentarily, nonverbally reprimanding him for the snide comment. When he looked over to her, she was just sipping at her glass, a brow arched. When she returned his glance, the look written on her face said 'you don't have to be so rude.' His chest rose and fell a little slower, a small sigh escaping through his nose. Juliet had learned many things while dating Bruce; one of those things was that he still had to put up that act of the careless, young billionaire, even if he didn't want to. Still, it didn't mean he had the right to be a complete ass to Rachel's boyfriend.

" I talking about the kind of city that idolizes a masked vigilante," Natascha continued with a shrug of her shoulders. Harvey sucked in a breath and glanced at her.

" Gotham's proud on an ordinary citizen standing up for what's right," he told her.

" Gotham needs heroes like you, elected officials… Not a man you thinks he's above the law."

" Exactly. Who appointed the Batman?" Bruce asked with a smile, rubbing Juliet's arm. She and Rachel shared a glance, both unsure of how the conversation was going to turn.

" We did. All of us who stood by and let scum control our city," Harvey replied, voice hard and serious. He completely believed in everything he was saying—every little word.

" But this is a democracy, Harvey," Natascha pointed out.

" When their enemies were at the gates, the Romans would suspend democracy and appoint one man to protect the city. And it wasn't considered an honor, it was considered a public service." Those words reminded Bruce of why Harvey was, in fact, the new DA; he had a way of speaking and coming up with valid points that just made one listen. Bruce's face had dropped the smile as he listened to the conversation going around the table.

" Harvey, the last man that they appointed to protect the republic was named _Caesar_ and he never _gave up_ his power," Rachel pointed out with a laugh, earning a nod of agreement from Natascha and a similar one from Juliet, who, as always, acted as if they weren't talking about Bruce.

" Okay, fine. You either die a hero, or you live long enough see yourself become the villain," Harvey said adamantly, " Look, whoever the Batman is, he doesn't want to do this for the rest of his life. How could he? The Batman is looking for someone to take up his mantle."

Juliet quickly looked up at Bruce and found his eyes in a distant place, clearly taking to heart what Harvey had just said. She gently squeezed his knee in a comforting way, which directed his attention down to her. He searched her face and rubbed her arm again, pulling her closer into his side in the process. Rachel watched the two a moment, seeing the sadness and reflection that crawled onto Bruce's face.

" Someone like _you_, Mr. Dent?" Natascha asked, a smirk on her face.

" Maybe. If I'm up to it."

" What if _Harvey Dent_ is the Caped Crusader? Hm?" The ballerina held up one of the menus to hide Harvey's face from the bridge of his nose upward, leaving his mouth and jaw exposed, mimicking the Batman cowl. The blond man laughed and smiled broadly, taking Rachel's hand in his own.

" If I were sneaking out every night, I think someone would have noticed by now," he said. Bruce watched the two exchange a smile and felt Juliet lean into his side a bit more. Sucking in a breath, he smiled at the man across the table.

" Well, I'm sold, Dent, and I'm gonna throw you a fundraiser," Bruce told him.

" Well, that's nice of you, Bruce, but I'm not up for reelection for three years."

" No, you don't understand. One fundraiser with _my_ pals… you'll never need another cent."

" Just say yes," Juliet stage whispered, leaning over the table edge, " he won't give up until you do. Trust me."

Chuckling, Harvey nodded his consent and thanked Bruce. There was a moment of pause in conversation as they placed their orders and then Harvey looked over at Juliet.

" I believe congratulations are _officially_ in order to you both; your wedding is in a couple of days, isn't it?" he asked, lifting his wine glass. Juliet smiled and nodded.

" A little less a week, actually," she confirmed, " I hope our invitation got to you, I entrusted it to Rachel."

" It's marked on my calendar; so how long were you two dating before you got engaged?"

" Dating for a year."

" A bit fast, wouldn't you say?" Natascha asked with an arched brow. Bruce grinned and wound his arm around Juliet's waist.

" Maybe; but I couldn't wait any longer. I just love her too much," he replied, pressing a long kiss to Juliet's forehead. A pink blush spread over her cheeks and she rested her chin on his shoulder. " Oh, and remember you have to pick up your dress tomorrow."

Juliet laughed and looked over at Rachel.

" Now he's telling me when _my_ appointments are," she joked, causing everyone around the table to laugh.

OOOO

When Bruce and Juliet returned to the pent house that evening, Bruce found himself staring at the damned Joker card Gordon had given him a year ago. The Joker, as he'd become to be called, had been lying low and keeping it safe for exactly a year. He was doing nothing, so naturally Bruce didn't bother much with him. But then, slowly, things began to escalate, the largest and most recent act being the mob bank robbery that Juliet had stumbled upon. The Joker was hard to find. No matter how much Bruce tried, he always slipped through his fingers.

" Staring at that card isn't going to help anyone," Juliet called from the bathroom, where she was washing her face. Bruce sighed and hid it from sight again, rubbing his eyes.

" I know," he replied, walking over to the windows, " I'm staying in tonight." He stared at the late night sky, not spotting the Bat Signal.

What Harvey had said, about Batman not wanting to be Batman his entire life, was eating at the back of his mind. What was really getting to him was that… it was true. He didn't _want_ to fight criminals for the rest of his life. He was one week away from his wedding—just a short week away from getting married to the woman he loved, whom he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He didn't want to drag her into a life where she'd have to constantly worry about whether he would be coming home in the morning alive or not. Hell, he didn't want her out fighting in the streets for the rest of her life either.

Juliet flicked the bathroom light off and made her way towards the bed, spotting Bruce with a strongly contemplative look on his face. She wondered what he was thinking about, but left him alone; sometimes he didn't get moments to himself, and he did need those from time to time. So, she lay down and pulled the covers up to her chin, curling up on her side. She was relieved that he was staying in for the night; she hadn't been on patrol for a while, ever since she'd had a close encounter with almost getting shot—Bruce stated that he would not allow her back out till her suit came in. His concern about her was heartwarming but, at times, a bit overbearing, and she wasn't afraid to let him know.

A little while later, Bruce climbed into bed, where Juliet was already asleep. He laid down behind her and wound his arms around her waist. She woke up a bit, but rolled over to snuggle against his chest, quickly falling back asleep. Bruce gently smoothed a strand of curling hair from her face, shutting his eyes and focusing on her breath skimming across his neck. Then, in a few short moments, he fell asleep, finally taking a night off.

OOOO

Two mornings later, Juliet sat in the kitchen munching on a piece of buttered toast while reading the paper; the day before she'd finally picked up her wedding dress, which, with the help of Alfred and Rachel, she'd hidden away from where Bruce would find it. Speaking of her fiancé, he'd gone out again the previous night. However, it hadn't been a patrol. It had been a meeting, as he'd explained when he'd gotten back. All of the money that belonged to the mob—minus the marked bills—had been taken. Their best guess was that it had been Lau's doing.

" How do you feel about visiting Mr. Fox today?" Bruce asked, walking into the kitchen whilst buttoning the cuffs of his shirt. Juliet arched a brow and picked up her coffee mug.

" Is it a social visit or a business visit?" she questioned, feeling like she already know the answer.

" Business."

" We should really visit him on social calls more often," she mused quietly for a moment before shrugging it off, " Well, we should get going soon if we're going to visit him. By the way, any idea on how we're going to deal with Lau?"

" I've had a few ideas…"

With the look on his face, Juliet felt a small sigh rise up in her throat.

" I'm beginning to think I'm not going to be happy with said ideas, Bruce."

OOOO

When Bruce and Juliet arrived in his office, Mr. Fox wasn't surprised. With Lau's recent departure, he figured they'd be showing up with a harebrained plan to get him.

" Good morning, Mr. Fox, how are you?" Juliet asked as they stepped inside. The man smiled at her and pulled off his glasses.

" I'm afraid I have to be the bearer of bad news; our Chinese friends left town before I could tell them the deal was off," he told them, standing up to head towards a wall of bookshelves.

" Well, I'm sure you've always wanted to go to Hong Kong," Bruce said as one of the bookshelves slid to the side to reveal a hidden elevator. Fox's brows furrowed at his words.

" What's wrong with a phone call?"

" I think Mr. Lau deserves a more… _personal_ touch."

On the way down, Bruce laid out his plans, which involved yachts, planes and explosives. Juliet wasn't crazy about him jumping out of a plane—yes, he had become an expert at jumping from roof to roof and soaring off them, but this was a _plane_. The last thing she wanted was for his cape to get sucked into the turbine on the wing. Of course, she'd be there too; she just wouldn't be jumping.

" Now, for high altitude jumps, you're going to need oxygen and stabilizers. Well, I must say, compared to your _usual_ requests… jumping out of an airplane is pretty straightforward," Fox told the two as they stepped into the large applied sciences department. The room was larger and more high tech then the last one, which had basically been the basement. Fox opened up a box to reveal an oxygen mask.

" What about getting back _into_ the plane?" Bruce questioned.

" I'd recommend a good travel agent."

" Without it stopping."

Fox smiled.

" Now that's more like it, Mr. Wayne." Juliet arched a brow at Bruce's comment—that was something he hadn't exactly brought up before. " The CIA had a program back in the sixties… for getting their people out of hot spots called Sky Hook. We could look into that."

" Yeah," Bruce agreed.

" Okay. Now… I believe some suits were commissioned?"

Fox led them back across the room and over to a large steel box. Pulling out one of the drawers, they all gazed down at the new pieces of Bruce's suit.

" Hardened Kevlar plates over titanium-dipped tri-weave fibers for flexibility. You'll be lighter, faster, more agile," Fox explained, watching as Bruce picked up one of the gauntlet pieces; it now had double bladed scallops on the side, which was what he had taken to examining. Juliet removed the mask and knocked against it with her knuckles. It seemed sturdy, so that was a definite plus.

There was a slight hiss and then a metallic thud as Bruce accidentally fired the double bladed scallops from the gauntlet; they'd embedded themselves into another cabinet, sticking there steadily. They all stared at them for a long moment, silence leaking through the room.

" Perhaps you should read the instructions first?" Fox asked as Bruce carefully replaced the piece as Juliet did the same with the cowl piece, " Now, there is a tradeoff. Separation of the plates makes you more vulnerable to knives and gunfire."

" We wouldn't want to make things too easy, now, would we?" Bruce asked with a smirk. Juliet rolled her eyes and stared down at the pieces.

" Too bad I wasn't around to help test it out this time," she joked, remembering when she'd tested the other Kevlar suit for durability. Needless to say, stabbing knives into a mannequin wearing a knife-proof suit was a good way to relieve stress.

" How well will it hold up against dogs?"

" We talking rottweilers or Chihuahuas?" Fox asked with a hint of amusement. Bruce chuckled as well, feeling the wound on his arm itch a bit. " Should do fine against cats."

" Then we just won't shove him in a room full of Chihuahuas, then," Juliet laughed, smiling.

" It's not a pleasant thing, having dogs attack you," Bruce argued, trying to fight the smile from inching onto his face.

" I wouldn't know," she countered with a quirked eyebrow. Fox, who was chuckling at the exchange pushed the drawer back in and placed his hands to the one just above it.

" Haven't done much patrolling then?" Fox asked. Juliet snorted and crossed her arms.

" Bruce won't permit me to do such things till I get my suit."

" Well, it's a good thing it came in, isn't it?" Fox asked with a smile, pulling out the next drawer. With a grin, Juliet stepped forward and peered inside.

Oh, what a good week this was becoming.

OOOO

" I found one in Arizona. A _very_ nice man said he could have it up and running in a week, and he takes cash," Alfred told Bruce and Juliet the next day, while they were planning their trip to Hong Kong. An oxygen mask sat beside a large map that was spread out on a table in the Bat Bunker. Juliet stood beside Bruce, marking off some points on the map with a Sharpie; her hair, which had been put up into a bun, was slipping into her eyes as she leaned over the table. " What about a flight crew?"

" South Korean smugglers," Bruce said simply, as if it were the most normal thing, " They run flights into Pyongyang below radar the whole way. Did you thing of an alibi?"

" Actually, I believe Miss Williams came up with it," Alfred said with a smile. Bruce turned his head to look at the woman beside him, who smiled and jumped backwards to sit on the edge of the table.

" I don't know about you, but I think Hong Kong sounds like a _lovely_ place for a honeymoon."

_**Afterword:**__** So, whatdidyathink? This was more of just plot set up, but next chapter we have… wait for it. The wedding. Yep, as almost everyone mentioned, the wedding will be happening next chapter! Also, I didn't describe Juliet's suit for two reasons.**_

_**a) That will happen when they're in Hong Kong.**_

_**b) I still have to plan out what it looks like. I may attempt to sketch it. But it would look horrible, so probably not.**_

_**REVIEW REPLY TIME!**_

**grapejuice101:**_ I'm glad you've been enjoying it so far! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!_

**toomanyobsessionstocount:**_ I love the song Beauty Underneath; it's one of my favorites from that show. Also, I love Sherlock, I have a fanfic for it :) Benedict would be a good Doctor, come to think of it. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!_

**highlander348:**_ I haven't seen The Bourne Legacy yet; I'd really like to, so I think that'll be on my Netflix cue pretty soon! As you can probably see, I took up your idea for their honeymoon being their cover; it works out really well! So thanks bunches! :D Juliet will be wearing her suit at some point in Hong Kong, but I think I have a good plan for it * sly grin * I hope you enjoyed the new chapter! Thanks again!_

**xxxninaxxx:**_ I'm really glad your enjoying the sequel so far! :D I'm really looking forward for the Joker! He'll be really fun to write. I definitely have plans for the party scene… Can't wait to write that scene too! I'm happy that you really like Bruce and Juliet's realationship! I totally ship them, lolz XD Hope you keep on reading! Thanks again!_

**Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967:**_ I'm glad you're enjoying it so far! Hope this chapter was fun to read! Thanks again!_

**sarahmichellegellarfan1:**_ I'm glad you liked the scene where she was teasing Bruce XD That was a scene I'd had in mind since before I even finished writing up Batman Begins. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!_

**The Mortal Knight:**_ Juliet can definitely handle things on her own, as she will prove very soon, and she will fight beside Bruce. For the wedding Rachel is definitely the maid of honor and Harvey will probably be one of the groomsmen. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!_

**Stargazer1364:**_ I like the idea of the fundraiser being a wedding party… I did keep it as a fundraiser though—when I decided to keep it that way, I feel like I had a pretty good reason why… but I've forgotten it XD But I'm really glad you like the story thus far! Hope you keep on reading! Thanks again!_

** l:**_ I think I'll probably add something in towards the end that will have Bruce and Juliet trying to help the city out and what not to help uplift the people of Gotham, 'cause I feel like that's something they'd do. I hope that you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!_

**Kagome Narome:**_ I'm glad that you like their teasing/loving relationship! I hope you keep on reading! Thanks again!_

**kindleflame5:**_ Funny thing you mention Juliet pulling the chair out from under Bruce… I was originally going to do that! XD As for Juliet showing up at the party in her suit, I'm a bit if-y on that; 'cause I feel like it could get a tad suspicious if suddenly Bruce and Juliet just disappeared and their masked personas showed up. But, as I've mentioned before, I have such plans for that scene. I'm probably playing that up a bit and then when the chapter gets here it'll be a let down XD But I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!_

**WinterRain36:**_ Juliet Wayne is on her way! :D WOO! Juliet will definitely be kicking ass pretty soon. Trust me, she will be; in both Hong Kong and at the party, even if it isn't the Joker's ass just yet. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and are looking forward to the next one! Thanks again!_

**Guest:**_ I'm gald you like it so far! Hope you'll come back and read more! Thanks again!_

**Ravenmore45:**_ Juliet kicking ass is coming… oh, yes indeed it is! Her debut is coming! I hope you'll stick around and read more! Thanks again!_

**ZabuzasGirl:**_ I have updated! WOO! I hope you enjoyed! Thanks again!_

_**And to those of you who have read and added to favorites or story alerts, thank you! It means a lot!**_

_** That's it for this chapter, you guys! **_

_** Don't worry, Juliet's kick ass masked persona will show up soon! **_

_** Thanks again and I'll try to update soon! And I promise I'll try and get a handle on what Juliet's suit looks like. Also, may I just say that you're all awesome? Every time I get a review, I smile like an idiot and with each suggestion, I think about what'll be happening in the future of this story—I already have plans for TDKR. I'm getting way too ahead of myself…**_

_** See ya next chapter! Thanks again!  
~Mary**_


	4. We Want War

_Disclaimer:_ _I do not own Batman in any way shape or form (comics, shows, movies etc.) or any of the characters. I only own my own my OC Juliet and her family._

_**Foreword: Okay.**_

_**I lied.**_

_**I said the wedding was this chapter. But it's not. I'm sorry. I had this chapter written out, and I had been struggling to figure out where to put it in, but suddenly… with the help of the lovely **__**grapejuice101**__**, I realized this was the best place to put it-it helps lay out some plot things :) I promise the wedding is next chapter! Enjoy this one, though!**_

4. We Want War

_Shadows dance back up, it's happening again,_

_If you listen carefully, you might hear them whisper:_

"_We hold all the secrets, we hold all the words;_

_They're scrambled and broken, so you'll never know."_

_~We Want War by These New Puritans_

The newspapers were completely abuzz.

Bruce Wayne, Gotham's once most eligible bachelor, was getting married in one day to Juliet Williams, who'd been deemed as Gotham's Queen of Hearts. While 'Queen of Hearts' usually had a negative connotation to it-what with the character from Alice in Wonderland-it was a completely positive nickname. It was meant in a sense that she was widely known as a very kind and caring person; when Juliet had quite suddenly appeared in the limelight because of her relationship with Bruce, she slowly won her way into their favor. She seemed was pretty and kind and had this almost innocent and loving feel about her personality-hence one of the reasons she'd been deemed Queen of Hearts.

As Juliet was running last minute wedding errands the day before, she smiled and waved at those she passed, like she usually did-she didn't fake her happiness or her kindness. It didn't seem right. People gave her early congratulations and she thanked them, not even bothering to worry about the paparazzi; she too excited to let them get to her in any way. Shifting the purse on her shoulder, she furrowed her brows when a tingle erupted across the back of her neck. She slowed to a stop, trying to note whether or not her hair was tickling the back of her neck. Her hair was still neatly pinned into its bun, nothing brushing the back of her neck. Shaking her head, she kept walking, dismissing it as maybe some pre-wedding day jitters. But, after a moment or two of walking…

There it was again.

Juliet turned around and glanced about the crowded sidewalk. That time, the tingle had been a shiver that rolled down her spine, making her a bit uncomfortable. It wasn't jitters, that time she was sure of it. It was that creepy feeling you got when… when…

When someone was watching you.

So, she looked around the fairly empty sidewalk, not noticing anyone was staring at her. Well, at least not anymore. Maybe it was the paparazzi, maybe it was just having a camera trained on her back that was skeeving her out…

However, as she kept walking, she didn't seem to notice that a set of eyes became trained on the back of her head again. Those eyes slowly around her figure, watching as she walked away from the alley where her watcher was standing. As she walked out from view, a businessman heard the clatter of a trashcan getting knocked over as someone rushed away, clearly in a hurry…

OOOO

The newspaper and tabloid headlines gave the Joker his newest target. In fact, they'd been the reason he'd been prowling about the city alleyways earlier. A close to deranged laugh climbed out of his throat as he eyed one particular headline:

**GOTHAM'S OWN QUEEN OF HEARTS**

_Juliet Williams-soon to be Juliet Wayne-once again showed that selfless nature she's been known for. Today seen at the Children's Hospital-_

He'd been searching through every article he could scrape up with that woman's name in it. He read about the _shining_ wedding plans, watched the early morning interviews and scanned over the trivial paragraphs and shallow tabloid junk and found one recurring thing. Gotham _loved_ this woman; if someone spoke a bad word about her, which, of course, some people did, they seemed to be part of the few people in the city that did.

And that was all he really needed, wasn't it?

This Juliet Williams had a personality that drew people in. She'd even mentioned how surprised she was that people liked her-that she used to be so shy and wasn't used to being in front of the cameras, in the public eye… but she was doing quite well. Juliet was even mentioned in relation to Batman sometimes-he'd apparently saved her that fateful night in the Narrows and once or twice after that. Bruce Wayne's lover, Batman's favorite gal… that was just _perfect_.

" _And,_" the Joker muttered to himself, uncapping a red marker, " what a lovely nickname… Gotham's Qu_een of Hearts…_" A grin pulled up on his messily painted face as he began to scribble on the newspaper on the cold metal table. " Let's see how much a heart will _bleed_."

When the clown-faced man stepped away from the table cackling, he left behind a graffitied picture cut out from a newspaper behind. On the large black and white photo of Juliet, a big red heart framed her face, surrounded by smaller ones; tiny little circles were drawn on her cheeks, much like those on clown makeup. His writing, messily executed, was scrawled all around the picture:

_HAHAHA!_

_Oh-so lovely! XOXO_

_All Hail The Queen of Hearts._

_**Afterword:**_ _**So, it's short, but I think it gets some things across.**_

_**a) you now all understand the title XD**_

_**b) we all now know the Joker is targeting Juliet * gasp! * Well… maybe not so 'gasp,' I think we all knew that would happen :P**_

_**Sorry about the length and that it isn't the wedding, but I needed the extra time to work out some stuff with the ceremony and what not!**_

_**REVIEW REPLIES!**_

**xxxninaxxx:** _I'm really glad you've been enjoying the story so far! The wedding will be next chapter, I promise, and I'm really happy you're excited for everything! Thank you again so much, I hope you'll stick around to read more!_

**grapejuice101:** _I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Rachel will, indeed, be the maid of honor! Wedding next time! Thanks again!_

**Crystal-Wolf-Guardian-967:** _I'm glad you've liked it thus far! :D I'm only four chapters in, but the action should be picking up soon! Thanks again so much, I hope you enjoyed!_

**toomanyobsessionstocount:** _The trailer for Sherlock is driving me insane; especially since I'm writing a Sherlock fic, so the ideas are already going again XD I hope you enjoyed the chapter, thanks again!_

**sarahmichellegellarfan1:** _One of those suggestions is actually going to happen in the party… I've had the party planned out since chapter, like, ten of Batman Begins XD I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!_

**highlander348:** _My original plan had been for Juliet to be fighting on the ground and then getting into the plane to help direct them towards the building, but after a few suggestions and good arguments for her to actually jump with Bruce, it'll probably end up being that way; it would definitely be a good way to introduce her new alter-ego. I hope you enjoyed the short chapter! Thanks again!_

**Kagome Narome:** _I'm glad you enjoyed it! Hope you keep on watching! Thanks again!_

**The Mortal Knight:** _I'm glad you like the cliffhangers, I like them too much XD I've got a basic design out for her suit, it'll be revealed soon… Wedding next chapter, I promise! I'm gonna try to get as much detail into it as I can, because I like weddings! I hope you keep on reading! Thanks again!_

**kindleflame5:** _She will be wearing the same mask, definitely! I do like the idea of her having color in her suit, it gives it a nice little difference to her suit. As for the party, I've taken some time and planned it out a bit, and I hope you'll stick around and read it! Thanks again!_

**StarGazer1364:** _Looking back on it, I kinda wish I had too; but we kinda sorta got him in this chapter! But the fundraiser will definitely be fun! I hope you keep on reading! Thanks again!_

**WinterRain36:** _They'll be married next chapter! WOO! Also, she probably will be jumping out of the plane now :) Hope you enjoyed! Thanks again!_

_**And thank you to those who had read and added this to story alert/favorite! It means a lot to me! **_

_**So, sorry for probably making you think this was a good, long, wedding chapter… that's next, I promise… but I needed to get this one in sometime, and I also have school work to get done and what not… uhg… But I hope to get the next one up soon! Thanks again you guys!**_


	5. Not With Haste

_Disclaimer:_ _I do not own Batman in any way shape or form (movies, shows, comics etc) or any of the characters. I also do not own Mumford & Sons or any of their songs (obviously XD) but I do own my OC Juliet and her family!_

5. Not With Haste

_We will run and scream,_

_You will dance with me,_

_They'll fulfill our dreams and we'll be free._

_And we will be who we are,_

_And they'll heal our scars,_

_Sadness will be far away._

_**~Not With Haste by Mumford & Sons**_

Bruce could take down drug lords, lock up psycho mask-wearing doctors and feel less than a shiver of anxiety about it all; jumping twenty foot gaps and soaring over moving traffic was a complete breeze. Literally. But getting ready for his own wedding? He felt like he was about crumble apart with the amount of anxiety bubbling through him. Bruce hadn't been able to sit still all morning. He would sit down, then stand up again to make sure that everything was running smoothly-he checked on the catering, the pastor, the rings and the reception space. Anything that would keep him distracted, really.

Peter, Juliet's brother, found Bruce's nerves rather amusing, actually. He, for some reason, thought it extremely entertaining to see the richest, most confident man in all of Gotham feeling anxious about getting married.

" Bruce, calm down, everything is running perfectly fine," Peter said as Bruce walked back towards the reception room, which was a gorgeous ballroom type space in a manor just outside of Gotham; had Wayne Manor been completely reconstructed, it would have taken place there, but in order to get it back to how it once was, it would take longer. Bruce ignored his statement and stepped around a woman setting an arrangement of crimson red roses on a table. He was practically half dressed: his hair was styled and parted perfectly, his dress shoes were tied and he'd slid the belt through his suit pants belt loops, but his white button down was hanging open over a white undershirt.

" Are all the flowers inside?" Bruce suddenly asked one of the event planners.

" Yes, Mr. Wayne."

" That's great. That's great, thank you. And no, Peter, I couldn't calm down even if I _tried_," Bruce replied as he pushed a chair back into place while he passed it. Peter snorted and pinched the bridge of his nose.

" You _haven't_ tired; you don't even have your shirt buttoned. So here's what I say we do. You're going to go _finish_ getting dressed, you are going to _relax_ and you're going to let the event planners to their jobs. _Stop. Worrying_." Peter gave him a look Bruce noticed matched one of Juliet's looks-maybe she'd learned it from him. " You're just marrying my sister," he joked with a smirk.

" _Exactly_. I'm marrying your sister; I love her and want everything to be _perfect_," Bruce replied. And that was the complete and utter truth. He'd been just as involved with planning the wedding as she had-in fact, the planner that they'd hired to help barely had to do much more than make calls. Peter, looking at Bruce nodded with a small smile. He dropped a hand heavily on his shoulder and, with a deadly serious expression, said,

" Good answer. And, what I'm about to say next, I absolutely have to say-it's part of the brother contract. If you hurt her-_ever_-I will find you and you will deeply regret it. Alright? Good." He smiled brightly again and pushed him back out of the reception room. " And, as Juliet's brother, I have the right to say you made a damn good choice for a wife."

" Trust me; I know I did."

OOOO

Juliet had been facing similar problems as Bruce had been experiencing; the only difference was that rachel had successfully managed to get her to relax by dragging her from the apartment to get her nails done. The hour and a half it took to give the bride a french manicure and then lay on tiny flower decals atop that did prove to actually be relaxing. Now she was attempting to keep her nerves in check as they bounced around crazily inside her body. They were both excited nerves and just plain-old anxious nerves.

Keeping her eyes shut, she focused on the way the soft makeup brush was sweeping over her eyelids. It was a soothing feeling and something to keep her thoughts on while the clock ticked ever closer to the ceremony.

" Getting excited?" asked Rachel, squeezing her friend's shoulder. Juliet smiled, eyes still closed as the makeup artist continued with her work.

" Of course! I just have to slow the speed at which my heart is beating at," Juliet laughed, crossing her ankles. Rachel smiled and stepped off to the side to help Juliet's cousin, one of the other two bridesmaids, take the dresses out of the garment bag.

To Juliet it was all quite odd to not be able to look and see what was happening around her; her eyes had been closed and she could hear as each person shuffled around the mahogany walled room unzipping bags, getting their makeup done and having their hair pinned up. Her mother and father would be arriving later since they lived on the other side of Gotham and would have to face midday traffic. But, like that morning, everything was hitting her like a concrete wall; she was _actually_ getting married to the love of her life, something she sometimes doubted would ever happen. And, thinking of the man she'd see waiting for her at the end of the aisle, she smiled brightly to herself.

OOOO

The crisply pressed collar of Bruce's shirt was pulled down over the black silk of his tie. He stood in front of a mirror as he knotted the strip of silk, brows creased in concentration. His shirt was completely buttoned up and tucked in and his suit jacket was hanging over the back of a chair in the corner of the room. A knock on the door interrupted his focus.

" Come in," he called. A well dressed manor employee stepped in, holding up a white envelope.

" This just arrived for you, sir," he said to Bruce, handing the envelope to him. Sliding the tie's knot up to his throat, Bruce accepted it with a confused expression.

" Um… thanks, thank you."

After the employee left and Peter was helping Harvey with his corsage, Bruce gently ripped the top of the letter open. There was no stamp, no return address, just his name stamped on the front. He slid the folded up piece of paper out of the torn envelope and unfolded it. There were only six words printed across the top, looking like they'd been stamped there by a typewriter:

MY REGARDS TO THE HAPPY COUPLE.

There was nothing else there. Just… 'my regards to the happy couple.' But something fluttered to the floor from the overturned envelope. Slowly crouching down, Bruce picked up what had fallen… and his heart stopped cold. He was pinching a joker card between her fingers almost identical to the one Gordon had given him. The only difference was that tiny little red hearts were doodled all over it and a red smile had been scratched onto the face of the joker on the card.

He stared at it for a long moment, his jaw tightening.

There was _no chance in hell_ that some deranged criminal was going to ruin his and Juliet's wedding day.

No chance at all.

So, leaving Peter, Harvey and Alfred, he went to do the fourth sweep of the manor and grounds he'd done that day. This time around, he checked even more thoroughly: he looked for traps, bombs, cameras, secret doors… but he found none. So he checked again in less obvious places. Still nothing. Sighing as he stared at the ceremony space-a large, beautiful garden-he thought maybe it was a horrible practical joke by someone with a terrible sense of humor. But then again, knowing what he did and doing what he does, he knew that it being a joke was a very small probability.

But he couldn't let that turn his day sour. He'd have to shove it aside so he could be happy… but he'd be keeping a wary eye out all day.

OOOO

Everything was pulling together quickly.

The groomsmen were in their suits with their red rose corsages pinned to their lapels. The bridesmaids were dressed in their floor length red dresses with sparkling beads on the heart shaped neckline and just under the bust. Bruce was-finally-fully dressed and Juliet was standing in front of her mirror.

" Here are the earrings," Rachel said with a grin, handing her a set of teardrop shaped pearl earrings. Juliet took them and said,

" Thanks." She slid them in and then stared at herself in the mirror. She shook her head with a small, disbelieving smile. " I can't believe I'm in my wedding dress…"

" Well, you better start believing it. You look gorgeous," Rachel replied, smiling at her in the mirror.

Juliet's dress was pure white and strapless; it had a sweetheart neckline with a beaded bodice that laced up in the back. Two swatches of ivory colored silk crossed under the bust and tapered down to curve towards the back on her waist. The skirt was A-line and made of toole, falling down to cover her beaded shoes. The toole had beaded silk flowers on the top, nicely spaced out till they didn't appear on the bottom of the skirt. Her hair was pinned and held back by a hair comb with pearls and crystals creating elegant swirls. Her makeup was neutral, bringing out the color of her eyes and giving her lips a nice pink tinge; the blush that had been swept over her fair cheeks was visible, but thankfully not overbearing. Mascara covered her dark lashes, making them appear longer and thicker. Her bouquet of roses sat on a small table to the right of the full length mirror, waiting to be held. A grin stretched over Juliet's face as she looked herself over a few times.

" I can't believe it…" she whispered, shaking her head happily.

She was so distracted by making sure the dress was on properly, she didn't hear the gentle knock on the door. Rachel crossed to open it, revealing a smiling and suited up Alfred.

" Miss Dawes, you look lovely," Alfred complemented. Rachel blushed and gestured towards the bride in front of the mirror.

" Thank you, but the real beauty here is Juliet."

" If I may have a word with her?" Alfred asked, nodding into the room.

" Of course!"

Alfred stepped inside, holding a medium sized flat box in hand. He walked over to Juliet and beamed at her.

" Miss Williams, you look positively beautiful," Alfred complemented. Looking over at the older man, she grinned at him, giving him a long hug.

" Thank you, Alfred," she replied and then gave him a false stern look, " what have I told you about calling me 'Miss Williams'?"

" It will be the last time I get to call you as such." Alfred squeezed her hand and shook it slightly. Blushing and nodding her agreement, Juliet laughed. " I've brought something for you; Bruce wishes that you would wear this," he told her, unlatching and opening the box in his hand. Inside, nestled in the velvet interior, was a gorgeous pearl necklace. Juliet recognized it from photos of Bruce's mother…

Eyes widening, she pointed to the necklace.

" Is that…"

" It belonged to Mrs. Wayne, yes. Bruce and I both agreed this is a very fitting occasion for it to be worn on. She would have wanted you to wear it."

There was a pause as Juliet couldn't find the right words to say. So, instead of fumbling around with irrelevant little words that made no sense she just nodded while swallowing thickly.

" Of course I'll wear it, I-I'd be honored," she finally managed to say, " will you help me put it on?"

" Of course, Juliet," Alfred agreed with a smile. He set the box down and gently removed the string of pearls. Looping it around Juliet's neck, Alfred's aged fingers secured the necklace so it rested around her throat. He rested both hands on her shoulders and continued to smile at her face in the mirror. " Mrs. Wayne would have loved to have met you."

Juliet, her eyes tearing up, nodded and reached up a hand to touch the cool pearls she now wore.

" I would have loved to have met _her_."

Alfred felt his eyes beginning to water up; for such a long time, he wondered if this day would honestly ever happen for Bruce. He'd been so busy with school and then, after the death of his parents, getting himself in trouble in countries on the other half of the globe. So, knowing he was marrying the wonderful and beautiful woman in front of the mirror made Alfred grin.

" Only a bit longer and I'll have to start calling you Mrs. Wayne, Miss Williams," he said as she smiled and laughed a bit, some nervousness creeping back down her spine.

" That you will, Alfred…"

OOOO

If two hearts ever beat faster than those of Bruce Wayne and Juliet Williams moments before they got married, they wouldn't have known. Bruce nervously stood in front of a flower decorated arch that served for the altar spot; the invited guests sat in white chairs with red cushions tied to the seat, smiling and talking excitedly. Alfred, who was Bruce's chosen Best Man, stood beside him dressed impeccably in his suit. He could see the anxiousness creeping across the young man's face-his jaw was tight, his brows were crinkled slightly in the middle and he kept swallowing thickly. Alfred stretched a hand out and squeezed Bruce's upper arm.

" If you must think about anything, just think about Juliet," Alfred suggested. Bruce smiled and chuckled nervously, looking back at the older man.

" That's what's making me more nervous," he replied with an anxious chuckle. Chuckling as well, Alfred nodded towards the end of the aisle where Peter stepped up to the end of the white runner. It was _really_ happening. The small quartet set off to the side of the altar began to play a soft tune, that caught everyone's attention. Bruce let out a long breath as Peter started his walk down the aisle. After standing at Alfred's side, Rachel was next, followed by Harvey, Juliet's cousin and then Mr. Fox, who stood with the bridesmaids. With each person coming down the aisle, Bruce's heart beat faster.

The first chords of the bridal march began, causing the gathered friends and family to rise. Bruce's clasped hands tightened more, as, around the corner Juliet appeared. And, by God, she was the most beautiful thing in the world. Grinning, he took in everything about her from her luminous smile to the hem of her dress. She was being escorted down the aisle by both her mother and her father, who had an arm looped through either of hers. A bouquet of red roses was clasped between Juliet's hands, which were clasped as tight as Bruce's were. Each step she took caused the flower petals on the runner to scatter gently.

Bruce felt his eyes prickling a bit-his vision briefly blurred with tears. After blinking a few times, his vision cleared up and she was halfway down the aisle. Feeling something roll down one of his cheeks, Bruce lifted a hand and wiped away the tear that had trickled from the corner of his eye. He didn't care if he was crying-he had every right to in that moment. Everything was _perfect_. By the time she stopped at the front of the aisle, Bruce's heart felt as though it were about to leap from his chest.

Juliet turned to her father, who kissed her forehead for a long moment with teary eyes, and then turned to her mother, who squeezed her arm and kissed her cheek. Facing front again, Bruce was standing before the trio, smiling happily. He held out both of his hands towards his bride and nodded to her parents, who each took one of her hands and gave them to him.

" Take care of our girl, Bruce," Mr. Williams said.

" I will," he promised. As her parents sat down, Bruce led Juliet up to the altar, holding her hands in his once she passed off her bouquet to Rachel. As everyone seated themselves again, Bruce and Juliet just stared at each other. Juliet took in the way he looked in his suit, which seemed to look so much different on him than all of his other suits. Maybe it was the corsage on his lapel or the way that the coat fit him, but whatever it was, she still couldn't believe that he was the man she was marrying.

" You look beautiful," Bruce whispered through the creaking of chairs and chattering of birds. The smile he'd been wearing since the moment he first saw her at the end of that aisle was still in place, unwavering and bright. Juliet squeezed his hands and her cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink.

" So do you," she replied, giggling a bit. Both remembered that day that seemed so long ago, when, in the elevator at Wayne Enterprises, he said she looked lovely and she said he looked lovely too. At that time, they couldn't have known what their relationship was going to become. They didn't know that, in a year's time, they would be standing there, at the altar, about to be married.

" Friends, we are gathered here today to witness the union of this man and this woman. I have been asked by the couple to read one of Shakespeare's sonnets before the ceremony begins. Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate:

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

And summer's lease hath all too short a date:

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;

And every fair from fair sometime declines,

By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;

But thy eternal summer shall not fade

Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;

Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,

When in eternal lines to time thou growest:

So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,

So long lives this and this gives life to thee."

There was a pause at the end of the sonnet where the efficient turned a page in the book in his hands.

" At this time, will the ring bearer please bring the rings forth?" he asked. Mr. Fox stepped forward with a broad smile, removing both rings from his suit jacket pocket. He handed each of them to the respective person and winked at the two before returning to his spot. Bruce took Juliet's left hand in his and met her gaze

" Juliet Williams, I take you to be my lawfully wedded wife. Before these witnesses I vow to love you and care for you as long as we both shall live. I take you with all your faults and strengths as I offer myself to you with my faults and strengths. I will help you when you need help and I will turn to you when I need help. I choose you as the person with whom I will spend my life," he recited in a clear, steadfast voice. He slid the ring up Juliet's finger and squeezed her hand. Next, Juliet took his hand and cleared her throat, not breaking the gaze he'd initiated moments before.

" Bruce Wayne, I take you to be my lawfully wedded husband. Before these witnesses I vow to love you and care for you as long as we both shall live. I take you with all your faults and your strengths as I offer myself to you with all my faults and strengths. I will help you when you need help and I will turn to you when I need help. I choose you as the person with whom I will spend my life," she vowed, her voice just as clear and steady as his was. She slipped the ring onto his finger and felt her smile widen. There seemed to be an excited shuffle everywhere as the vows were finally spoken.

" Then, by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Bruce, you may now kiss your bride."

Almost instantly, Bruce looped an arm around Juliet's waist and drew her in for a passionate kiss. She returned it with equal fervor, a hand resting on his cheek and the other on his shoulder. Everyone in attendance stood and applauded the newly wedded couple, smiles spreading like wildfire. Bruce and Juliet stayed lip-locked till the clapping began to die down and the music from the quartet began to play once again. They turned to their guests, at which point the efficient announced,

" Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Wayne!"

OOOO

The moment Bruce and Juliet were back inside the old manor house after all of the pictures were taken, he enveloped her in a tight hug and spun her around once. She laughed happily into his neck and wound her arms around his shoulders. So far, everything had gone _perfectly_. No interruptions from the Joker, _thank God_. Bruce's cheek was pressed on top of her head, deeply inhaling the floral scent of her hair.

" I can't believe I can finally call you my wife," Bruce told her, pulling back only enough so he could rest his forehead against her. Juliet laughed And rested her hands on the back of his neck. A sweet smile pulled up the corners of her mouth.

" Well, you better start believing it because as of about forty-five minutes ago, it became true," she replied, pulling him in for a quick kiss. His hands came up to cup her face, holding the kiss for a longer period of time. She giggled and playfully slapped his shoulder, which caused him to laugh and draw back.

" I suppose they'll be waiting for us in order to start the reception, won't they?" he asked, still grinning. Juliet tucked a stray strand of hair back into its updo and nodded.

" I suppose they are. Let's go."

Before rounding the corner into the ball-room type space, Bruce and Juliet took each other's hands, their fingers interlocking tightly. It was one of the things that everyone always seemed to notice about them. When they walked hand in hand, their fingers were always intertwined tightly; even if they were just sitting at dinner or casually and their hands were resting on the other's, their fingers always found a way to lock together. It was sweet.

Everyone once again clapped as Bruce and Juliet stepped into the reception space, heading directly to the space sectioned off for the dance floor. Bruce's arms immediately wove around Juliet's waist and held her close, something which neither of them were objecting to. As Juliet wrapped her arms around Bruce's neck, the song for their first dance started, and the two began to gently sway back and forth. The two rested their foreheads together again, feeling as though the crowd of people around the dance floor merely didn't exist. It was just them, dancing together in a room that was lined with fragrant red roses and white orchids.

" The necklace looks lovely on you," Bruce complimented, eyes briefly flickering to the pearls that encircled her neck. Juliet smiled and met his gaze.

" Thank you for letting me wear them. I… couldn't have imagined wearing anything better," she replied truthfully, " And let me tell you, Bruce… everything is absolutely perfect."

" I couldn't agree more."

The two shared a kiss just as the dance ended, staying in one spot. Soon after, they took their seats and dinner was served. As dinner progressed, speeches began. Peter was the first of Juliet's family to speak-he gave a typical big-brother sort of talk, centered on Juliet when she was younger, and how Bruce better be kind to her. Her mother and father each spoke, followed by Alfred and Fox, and, eventually it was Juliet's turn. She was handed a microphone, which she took a bit awkwardly and stood up.

" First off I think I have to thank my brother for retelling half of all the embarrassing stories about me-thanks for that, Peter." Everyone chuckled at her comment, and Peter raised his champagne glass to her with a grin. " But, in all honesty, I cannot describe how happy I am right now. When I was a girl-I know, this is a bit typical, but I'll make you sit through it anyway-when I was a girl, I think I did what most little girls do. Dream about her wedding day. And _never_ did I once think it would be this wonderful and I don't think I've ever felt so loved. About a year ago, I never would have thought that I would be marrying the most amazing man, who just so happened to be my boss." Another chuckle sounded across the room. " And, I'll admit, I thought that Bruce was going to be uptight and snobby and, well, the stereotypical rich guy who would never look my way. But, God, I've never been so happy to be so wrong. Every moment I spend with him I feel so completely ecstatic and happy and loved… and I don't think I could ever picture myself happier. This is, by far, the best day of my life, and I cannot wait to spend the rest of it with him. He's the love of my life. I love you, Bruce," she told him, descending back into her chair as she gave him a hug. A round of applause sounded As Bruce took the microphone from his wife and stood.

" How do I top that… Um…. well, I'll have to try. About a year ago, which seems like a long time ago, I came back to Gotham and found myself working at Wayne Enterprises. One of the first things I'm told, is that I was going to be given a personal assistant, who just so happened to be this gorgeous woman beside me." Bruce took Juliet's hand in his and smiled down at her. " And one of the first things I thought to myself was… God, how much is this woman going to end up hating me?" More chuckles from the guests. " To my surprise, she didn't hate me. In fact, she seemed to be one of the first people since my return to Gotham to actually see _me_ and not my money or my status, just Bruce Wayne. God, what I would have given to have my parents meet her… They would have loved her just the way I do. I couldn't agree with you more, Juliet; you are, without a doubt, the love of my life," he said, passing off the microphone and kissing her for a long moment.

The next notable moment of the reception, was the cutting of the cake, which had multiple tiers, and was decorated with shimmering edible pearls and sugar flowers. The two both cut into it, holding the same knife; they eventually each took a piece and before he could really do anything about it, Juliet shoved a good portion of her piece onto his face. Bruce stood there for a moment, blinking as he registered the frosting and red velvet cake sticking to his lips and chin. After brushing a good majority of it off, he picked up his piece and arched a brow.

" No, no, no-you are _not_ doing that!" Juliet laughed, gathering her skirts up in the hand that wasn't covered in cake, preparing to run.

" You deserve it, we both know that," he replied, advancing on her. Juliet attempted a half hearted escape by running around the table, but glancing over her shoulder distracted her enough to have Bruce double back and gently smashed the cake onto her in a similar fashion to what she'd done. She stumbled back a step, laughing with her new husband as they took in the sight of their messy faces. They only furthered the mess when they once again kissed, which tasted of cake and frosting.

The rest of the evening passed with typical wedding activities-dancing, laughing and, of course the traditional bits as well. Juliet and her father had their father daughter dance, during which, both of them started to cry a bit. There was the bouquet toss, where Rachel caught the bunch of roses with a surprised laugh. Then there was the _garter_ toss, which resulted in Peter catching it; he was clearly not amused with catching his sister's garter, so he tossed it half-heartedly over his shoulder, where Harvey, quite ironically received it. By the time the reception ended, everyone in attendance had had a good time.

Bruce and Juliet had returned to the penthouse, managing to avoid all paparazzi that might've been lurking around. When they stepped back into the penthouse, hand in hand, Bruce grinned down at her.

" So, now we're back home, Mrs. Wayne," Bruce said, pulling her in closer, teasingly leaning closer to her. She returned the grin and tossed her now loose hair from her face. She put her hands on either side of his neck and toyed with his hair a bit.

" You don't know how much I love being called that," Juliet replied. Bruce leaned in a bit closer.

" You don't know how much I love _calling_ you that. Mrs. Juliet Wayne…"

Their lips finally met and they shared a long, passionate kiss. Pulling back, Juliet smirked at him.

" You do know I could have run away from you if I liked earlier; I can still run in this dress," she teased him, nodding down to the skirts. He arched a brow.

" Could you?" he asked.

" I could and I can. I can prove it to you right now, but I'd suggest you start running."

Laughing, Bruce stepped back and began backing away. Juliet took fist fulls of her skirt and began advancing on him. Before long, he spun on his heel and took off at a run, Juliet laughing and following not too far behind.

_**Afterword:**_ _**They're MARRIED! AHHHHHH! FINALLY!**_

_**So, I'm sorry a) for not updating in a while, school got in my way, along with an audition and now with memorizing lines and b) if the wedding sucked. I've actually never BEEN to a wedding, so everything I base my wedding knowledge off of is TV shows, movies and what not. So. Yeah.**_

_**Normally this would be the bit where I reply to your reviews, but, for this chapter, I really, really, REALLY want to get this posted, and replying individually to each review takes a while; so, while I kinda feel like an ass for not replying this chapter (THE GUILT DX), I'm going to reply to you all collectively right now:**_

_**Thank you SO, SO, SO, SO, SOOOO much for all of your reviews! They motivated me to actually start this chapter, which I'd been questioning on how to write it for a while! Again, thank you to those who have added this to their favorites/story alerts, it means a lot!  
Again, I'm sorry for not just replying to all of you, I feel horrible, but I REALLY REALLY REALLY wanted to get this up for you guys! Now Bruce and Juliet shall enjoy wedded bliss! WOO! FINALLY! :D **_

_**And then shit has to get real.**_

_**Thanks again, you guys!**_

_**~Mary**_


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